Media distribution systems (e.g., the Rhapsody™ and Rhapsody-to-Go™ services offered by RealNetworks™ of Seattle, Wash.) distribute media content to a client electronic device (e.g., an MP3 player) from a media server. A media distribution system may distribute media content by allowing a user to download media data files and/or receive and process media data streams.
Media distribution systems may allow a user to listen to radio media content, such that individual media tracks are provided to the user (in a fashion similar to that of a traditional radio station). Typically, the tracks included within the radio media content (and the order in which the tracks are rendered) are often governed by various laws and organizations, such as The Digital Millennium Copyright Act, the ASCAP (i.e., the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers) policies, and the BMI (i.e., Broadcast Music, Inc.) policies.
Unfortunately, the order in which the tracks included within the radio media content is rendered is often rigid, thus preventing the user from supplementing the radio media content with e.g., previously-purchased media tracks and/or content unavailable from the media distribution system. Accordingly, the media distribution system might be forced to pay royalties for tracks included within the radio media content, when the tracks are already present on the client electronic device.